Journalism & Internet

There is a new Communications module offered this semester that is about Journalism. Due to clashes in timetable, I can only choose between Journalism and Health Communication. I have great interest in both modules but I settled for Health Communication and one of the reasons is because Prof. Lance Rintamaki (my favourite lecturer because he is so nice and awesome!) mentioned that the lecturer for Health Communication is pretty good. Although it is regretful that I cannot take Journalism, but I do like what I am learning from Health Communication now. Another reason for not choosing Journalism is because I think Singapore's publishing industry is not just repressed, it is also going downhill. You may think I am making unsupported claims here but let me show you exactly what idiocy they are capable of. Below is the link to a letter that SPH released, in response to their publishing errors.

• http://www.visakanv.com/blog/1957/sts-justification-of-its-liberal-editing-of-forum-opinions/

Any sane human being with basic analytical skills will understand that the SPH has made editorial mistakes so simple that even my little Primary School student can rectify. They have failed to uphold the basic principles of journalism, such as honesty and accuracy in their reporting. Lacking basic integrity in their work, I will no longer rely on The Straits Times as my major source of information. Since the start of the Tin Pei Ling fiasco, I have been waiting for them to say something more neutral about the issue. However, all I have read so far shows me that they are not even capable of neutrality - their reports only spoke of how the cyber citizens have been unforgivingly harsh and how she has 'grown' from the criticisms. Why did they not publish information regarding her lack of worthiness to represent us? I refuse to let such a frivilous character represent young females in Singapore and I absolutely will never acknowledge her us our MP. The criticisms that she has received does not even rival one tenth or even one hundredth of what Sarah Palin received. Yet she is grumbling about the netizens being too harsh - it just shows that she still has a loooooooooong way to go. Her fiasco just makes me feel more disgusted with the political party that endorses her nonsense. And all these events will not only reduce the local publishing industry to a pile of joke, it will also give the false impression of what idiots constitute Singapore. I definitely do not want to be part of this idiocy so I refuse to subscribe to the ideology of both SPH and PAP.

Another reason as to why I hate our local publishing industry is because they are not even allowed to publish any April Fool's jokes. This is because they do not want to compromise the integrity of their reporting and dilute their credibility. Like seriously? Now they are talking about upholding the reputation of professional journalism? You have got to be kidding me.Thank heavens that there is a tweeny bit more freedom in the cyber world. Even Google cracked a huge joke on us with the new motion mail feature! Read the ban on April Fool's reporting here:

• http://cbsbreakingnews.com/world:699180

All in all, I am glad for online news and opinion platforms like the following below:

• 1) Though not as objective as I like, they are pretty up-to-date and accurate. In my opinion, this website is by the students, for the country. If anyone wants to have an insight into the way a varisty student may think of local and global issues, this is your best bet.


• http://kentridgecommon.com/

• 2) They represent the voices of many who are only allowed to pen their thoughts on the cyber platform. They are as objective as the cyber world can get because their writers criticise not only PAP, but all the other political parties as well.


• http://theonlinecitizen.com/

• 3) This one is a bit of a joke because even though the events they write about are facts, the commentary is not always very sound. But they are pretty entertaining if anyone is into political tabloids.


• http://www.temasekreview.com/